Root & Synonym Clusters 2: “not” + root + (adj.) suffix
Lots of fancy SAT words are constructed with the basic formula, “not” + root + (adj.) suffix. Train yourself to look for 1) prefixes meaning “not” (like, “un,” “im,” “in,” “a,” and “ir”), 2) roots that you can identify or that look like other words you know, and 3) word endings that make for adjectives (like “ous,” “ate,” “ed,” and “al”). Take, for example, “immutable.” The prefix “im” means “not” and the suffix “able” means “able to be.” The root “mut” is the same as that found in “mutation,” which means change (as in, change in the gene pool). So, […]
